Everlasting Dream
by Ezegawa
Summary: In trying to escape the harsh realities of the world, a girl ventures upon a world in which she thought only exists in a game. But she soon learns that the so-called fantasy can be more painful than reality. "Great!" A TOS self-insert.
1. Alone

Okay…so I know that there are **alot** of self-insert stories out there but I couldn't help it! After playing TOS I instantly got hooked and wanted to make a fanfic about it, or in this case a self-insert story! I'm not much of a writer and this is my very first fanfic but I will try my best to make this at least a decent self-insert story. The first part is kind of boring but bear with me.

Heh! Not much of an introduction but it'll have to do! (^u^)

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Tales of Symphonia!

* * *

><p><em>It was raining.<em>

_The thunder clapped loudly followed by a flash of lightning that illuminated from the clouds._

"_B-b…"_

_I stood in the rain looking up at the gloomy gray clouds._

_Alone._

_I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself, my eyes still fixated on the clouds that hung on the sky ominously._

"_B-back…"_

_A voice?_

"_B-back…go…ba…ck..."_

_Back? Where?_

_The lightning flashed again but this time the bright light stayed. I squinted my eyes at the bright light but shut them_ _immediately as my eyes couldn't handle it._

_The coldness was gone and was replaced by….Warmth?_

"Go… Back…!"

* * *

><p>"I think she's waking up!"<p>

I groaned and turned to my side. _"Ugh! I don't feel so good!"_

My head was throbbing and my stomach was churning. I felt sweaty and my clothes were soaked by it. I rolled over to my other side clutching my churning stomach. _"Feeling….the…urge…to…vomit!"_ A high-pitched voice spoke up, "Daddy…why is she rolling like Spike?"

"Honey! Don't hover too close to her!" I then heard feet shuffling.

I slowly opened my eyes but winced as bright sunlight shone down harshly on my poor eyes. When my eyes adjusted to the light, the first thing I saw wasa clear sky, as I groggily sat up I was greeted by the sight of…_Sand_.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

My jaw dropped and my eyes widened at the sight of the never ending vast of sand. "B-b-but how...?" the hand that was clutching my stomach fell to the ground. I scooped up the hot sand and let it run through my fingers. _"This can't be real!"_ I thought. _"This is just a dream right? A totally realistic dream…yeah_ _that's it…This isn't…_

"U-Um…Excuse…me, Miss?"

I turned to see a group of people huddled together, staring at me intently. They were wearing some old-fashioned clothes that wasn't very suited forthe heat. They had makeshift hats on their heads and were wearing baggy thick pants. Behind them was a carriage with a matching horse that was contentedly asleep.

A woman from the group wrapped an arm protectively on a little girl as she stared at me curiously. "Uh…" trying to find the right words to say in this kind of situation, which I might add doesn't usually happen often so…lucky me!

"A-Are you alright?" I shifted my gaze to the man who was the only one talking to me. He was a little plump and had a thick brown beard. His large black eyes expressed a mix of confusion and fear. I could tell that he was trying to keep his voice calm but failing miserably.

"_Oh! I'm just peachy! I woke up feeling nauseous and sticky with sweat…and now I'm in a freakishly hot desert place with people staring at me like I'm insane!_ _Everything's just DANDY!"_

Okay….not gonna worsen the situation with that answer. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. One question came into my mind above the rest.

"Where am I?"

The same man replied to my question. "We're in the Triet Desert, Miss."

"…"

...Crap...

I stared at them disbelievingly._"Triet? As in….Tales of Symphonia Triet?"_ I furrowed my eyebrows. "We were just passing through when we found you lying on the sand unconscious." The bearded man explained. _"That's a little cliché…"_I stood up from the sandy ground and examined my surroundings. Nothing much but glorious sand could be seen from where I stood.

Alright, deep breath…calm down. There are two logical explanations that I can think of right now.

(a) This is just a dream and I'm going to wake up soon in my nice and warm bed with the smell of pancakes in the air. Besides I had a lot of crazy dreams in the past…but this has to be one of the most the craziest!

But…I don't usually feel anything in my dreams…so I guess this means that…

(b)…I'm a self-insert.

Okay, I take it back! I liked the first explanation better! I'm not too keen on being a self-insert. I mean sure…I read a lot of fanfics about them and I have to admit, some of them were pretty epic…but being tortured by desians and getting mauled up by monsters is sooo not my thing. I didn't even finish the game…it got lost before I can even finish disc 2.

There wasn't even anything strange that happened last night. Don't most self-inserts get sucked in a GameCube or something? If I did then damn you to hell GameCube! I should've returned it to my friend sooner!

The only thing to do now is to wing it because this obviously isn't a dream and I can get hurt. _Seriously hurt_.

"_Alrighty then, Smile and be calm as possible!"_

After mentally arguing with myself I turned to face the people still huddled up. They were still staring at me like I came from another planet which ironically is true. "I guess I should thank you for saving me!" I said

They replied with silence and more staring. _Tough crowd._

"Sorry I freaked out awhile ago…I got lost in trying to find the village of Triet and I guess I passed out from the heat!" I explained. I gave them an apologetic smile. _Hah! Who says you need acting lessons!_They became less tense after I explained but was still looking at me suspiciously_. "Atleast __they_ _don't think I'm insane anymore!"_ I turned to face Mr. Brown beard man, since he was the only one that talked to me. He cringed from my gaze but stood his ground. "Were you planning on going there too?" I asked.

"_Going to Triet would be my best bet…atleast I won't get attacked by monsters when I'm there!"_"Y-yes, the town is just ahead." He stuttered. _"Did I really __freak_ _them out that much?"_

"Uh…..Would you mind if I tag along?" I asked.

He stared at me for a moment and then glanced at the group of people, which I assumed was his family. The woman, who was obviously the little girl's mother, clearly didn't want me to join them as she narrowed her eyes at me. "Don't worry! Once were there, I'll be out of your hair for good! I just don't want to get lost again!" I reassured them. There were a few minutes of wonderful silence; a tumbleweed would have been a great effect when finally Mr. Brown beard man said: "Alright."

"_Huzzah!"_

* * *

><p>"<em>Man...It's so dusty here!"<em>

I was now riding in Mr. Beard's carriage with the whole family sitting on the opposite side of me. _"I am so loved!"_There were barrels and crates that took up the most room in the carriage. There was scattered hay that was frustratingly making my legs itchy. _"I guess its better than being mauled up by __monsters or_ _melting in the desert heat!"_I thought.

With nothing to do, I started to examine the family on the opposite side of the carriage. The woman that doesn't like me was still holding the child protectively. She was actually very pretty. She had brown eyes, ebony hair and her skin was perfectly tanned._"Kudos to you, Mr. Beard Man!"_

The other two people were boys. They looked right about 18-20 years old. They were actually twins. They both had black hair with matching black eyes like their Daddy.

I noticed the little girl before managed to get free from her mother's grasp. She moved to my side and sat next to me. "Sasha!" her mother called out but the girl paid no heed to her mother's call and smiled happily at me.

"Hi!" she chirped. "Hi." I replied flatly. She was the spitting image of her mother and looked about 8-10 years of age.

"My name's Sasha! What's yours?" She said staring at me curiously with her large eyes. "Its Haruko." I answered leaning back on the carriage.

"That sounds like a boy's name!" she giggled.

"It's a unisex name."

"Unises? What's that?"

"Never mind…"

"You have really strange clothes Ms. Haruko!" she commented. That's when I finally noticed my clothes, I was wearing dirtied jeans, a simple blue shirt and my sneakers which were worn out. _"Okay…unfashionable but definitely not strange…I guess it's a good thing that I was too lazy to change into my __pajamas!"_ "There are a lot of strange clothes in the world, kid." I said. "So are you a traveller?" she asked again. "Well, sort of." I replied. She was about to say or ask something else when Mr. Beard man's voice cut her off.

"We're here."

I stepped out from the carriage to see the village of Triet. It was a fairly accurate replica of the game. Not much but stalls and palm trees. The inn was the only decent structure in the village.

"Thanks for your help!" I said gratefully to the family. They simply nodded and went on their way. Sasha turned and waved goodbye at me, I waved back. _"Nice kid."_ But come to think of it I never got their names except Sasha's, even Mr. Beard man…oh well. Now time to thi-

"Listen up! Inferior beings!"

"_Dammit!"_

I stared as two desian soldiers in there oh-so-tacky uniforms standing cockily, holding up a poster. "A criminal is said to have been sighted in this area. Anyone who sees this criminal must report immediately to any soldier in standby. However, if you help this criminal in escaping, you will be dealt with severely." The desian pointed to the crudely drawn poster of Lloyd. I snickered. _"I have got to get one of those posters!"_

"The criminal's name is Lloyd Irving. We will set these posters up for all of you to be able to recognize him." They put up a poster near the inn and went to the north side of the town.

So I'm in the beginning of the game where they haven't released the seals yet. I still don't know how I got here but doing nothing won't be any good. _"But_ _first…"_ I took the poster from its place. In the game, the poster was really small and seeing it in close-up is hilarious! I then noticed two heads popping out from a shed.

"_Right on cue!"_

There was Lloyd with his gravity defying hair and Genis, the silver-haired munchkin. They look more mature here than in the game. Lloyd got the whole confident look down while Genis is as adorable as a button. They were looking back and forth cautiously and then landed their gaze on me. I looked from the poster to them and smirked.

"_Heh! This could be fun!"_

I hid the poster behind my back and walked casually towards them. "Nice hiding place!" I remarked. They stared at me for a second before Lloyd spoke up: "Uh…Thanks!" Genis rolled his eyes. "Lloyd!" he scolded. "What?"

I came closer. "You look awfully familiar…" I started. Genis widened his eyes while Lloyd as oblivious as ever said: "I do?" I showed the poster to them. "Yeah…you look exactly like the guy in this poster!" I said trying hard not to laugh. Both of their faces paled as I waved the poster in front of them. "Hmm… a wanted criminal huh? I wonder is there's some sort of reward for the capture?" I said mischievously. Their eyes were now as wide as saucers and they were glancing nervously to where the desians went.

I went _"LOLZ!"_

"Are you going to turn us in?" Genis asked glaring at me with his kendama at hand.

"And what if I do?" I said nonchalantly.

Lloyd was now glancing back and forth from me to Genis unsure if he should intervene. Genis was now gripping his kendama tightly and was still glaring at me like there was no tomorrow. _"Wow! He even glares better than me!"_I thought. I dropped the poster in front of them. "The desians went to the north of town. I think it would be best for you to leave now!" I said. They simultaneously dropped their jaws. _"Ah…messing with people has its perks!"_

"W-What?" Genis exclaimed looking at me incredulously. _"No sense in getting the storyline screwed!"_

"You should hurry!" I said quickly.

"Your letting us go?" Lloyd asked with the same expression as Genis. _"No Lloyd, I'm letting you get captured right now! Can't you see that?"_

"Wait…How can we be sure that this isn't a trap?" Genis said looking at me suspiciously. I rolled my eyes. "How could this possibly be a trap?"

"For all we know, some desians might be guarding the outskirts of Triet so that they can ambush us and we'll be outnumbered if their reinforcements here come to their aid!" he explained smugly. _"I did not think this through! Darn you Genis! For being so dang smart!"_

"Then…what do you want me to do? Should I tie myself to a post?" I said sarcastically. Genis furrowed his eyebrows, probably thinking.

"Lets take her with us!"

Both Genis and I stared at Lloyd, neither of us not knowing what to say. "Only until we get enough supplies, she can't inform the desians if she's with us!" Lloyd explained with a grin. _"Wow! I applaud you Lloyd!"_

"I guess you right…" he said hesitantly. Lloyd then turned to me "Is that okay with you?"

I guess it's my fault for fooling around. Sigh…was it really worth it?

…Heck yeah, it was!

"Fine…" I grumbled.

"I'm Lloyd by the way!" he said with a friendly grin.

"Genis." he said flatly

"Haruko."

"That sounds like a boy's na-"

"Don't even start!"

* * *

><p><em>"Say Haruko?"<em>

_"Yes Lloyd?"_

_"Why were you joking about turning us in?"_

_"Oh...no special reason..."_

_"Then...why did you do it?"_

_"To mess with you..."_

_"...?"_

_"Well isn't that nice of you..."_

_"Yes it is, Genis!"_

_"..."_

* * *

><p><em>This is so not fair!<em>

I just noticed how tall Lloyd is! Since when did I become a munchkin? I was the tallest one in my class. I was a little taller than a Genis…**a little! **Did I shrink when I came here? Did I-

"Haruko?"

I snapped out of my thoughts as Lloyd waved his hand in front of my face. "You were spacing out!"

"Oh sorry! Did you get everything that you needed?" I asked. "Yeah! I think it's just about enough!" he replied.

"So can I go now?" I said glancing at Genis. He stared at me for a second. "I guess you can…"

"Thanks for not turning us in!" Lloyd said happily.

I nodded at them.

"_Finally! Now I don't have to get involved and get the plot screwed! Maybe now I could thi-"_

"There he is!"

"_Why does everybody keep interrupting my thoughts?"_

Two desians with swords at hand were running towards us. _"Awesome. Just awesome."_

"Surrender yourself now!"

"Don't you guys ever let up?" Lloyd said angrily. Genis was at his side with his kendama ready to beat the crap out of them. As for me…I'll just step back as faraway as possible.

Lloyd was fending off the two desians while expertly dodging their blows. Genis on the other hand was concentrating on casting a spell. It was kind of cool watching them fight. In the game, it would take a lot of blows to make a desian disappear but now, this isn't a game…every blow is lethal and people just don't disappear…they actually die.

Okay stop it Haruko. Thinking about it will just make you feel worse.

"FIRE BALL!"

Balls of fire shoot out towards the soldiers. It was a direct hit and the two desians were knocked off their feet and fell to the ground. I noticed Lloyd didn't even have a scratch._"Wow! He is good!"_

Both of them stood for a moment catching their breaths. I walked closer towards them. "Are they…dead?" I asked, worried about the answer. "No…just… knocked out…" Lloyd panted out. Oh good…Sure there were evil but their still people right?

"Thanks for the help!" Genis said sardonically. I glared at him. Why does he have to be right all the time? I can't just grab a weapon and be an expert at it immediately. Hello...I'm not Mary sue and **never** dreamed to be! As much as I hate to admit it, I have the weakest body in the family. Most of them are into sports and stuff. I tried sports but…it didn't go well.

"_Alright, starting now…I won't get involved in this Symphonia thing!"_

"We better go now Genis!" he then turned to me. "Be seeing you Haruko!" he said with small smile. _"Nothing would make me happier!"_

"Yeah, Lets hurry!" Genis said turning his back from me _"Jerk."_

Hmmm...

"W_hy do I get the feeling that I'm forgetting something?"_

"FFZZZZTTT"

"AGH!" I cried out in pain as I felt electricity coursing through my body. I fell to my knees feeling my energy fading away. _"Okay...How could i possibly forget THAT part!"_

I felt my consciousness slipping and fell to the sand with a thud. I heard a second thud after me.

"Lloyd! Haruko!"

"_Oh…now he's worried?"_

Didn't I just say that I won't get involved anymore? This is just more involvement isn't it?

"_Just my luck!"_

Darkness.

* * *

><p>Whew! Finally finished!<p>

So what do you think? I hope Haruko isn't sueish to you!

Reviews are very much appreciated…so review away! If you have any comments in improving my writing please tell me…I really want to improve!

~YAYZ~


	2. Involvement

Okay…I think I'm getting the hang of this spacing thing. I already revised the first chapter's spacing. Sorry for that mistake *face palm*

Anyway, here's the second chapter!

* * *

><p>"<em>Come on! Your almost there! You can't give up now!"<em>

"_I can't…I'm so tired…please let me rest!"_

"_No…stand up and stop whining! Get up!"_

"_I…can't stand anymore…"_

"_Yes you can! Just think about your goal!"_

"_My…goal?"_

"_Your goal will give you strength…so don't you ever forget it, okay?"_

"_I won't…"_

* * *

><p>It was cold.<p>

I was semi-awake and I could feel the cold floor beneath me. I refused to open my eyes and was slipping back again into unconsciousness. "_I don't feel like waking up right now…it's too cold to stay awake!_ "I thought.

I felt someone shaking my shoulder roughly. "Mm…one more hour sis…" I muttered and turned to my side.

"Wake up already!"

"I'll just skip breakfast…" I replied lazily still refusing to open my eyes. I felt the hand withdraw from my shoulder. I was about to fall asleep again when my arm was yanked up forcefully by someone.

"OW!"

I was now in a sitting position with someone still tugging my arm for me to stand up. I tried stubbornly to get my arm back but the person tugging it had a firm grip on it that it hurt. My eyes were now half-open but my vision was a bit foggy and I felt a little light-headed. I stared at the floor which was a fuzzy gray.

"For goddess sake Haruko! What will it take for you to wake up?"

"_Wait…that's not my sister's voice…"_ I looked up and squinted. All I saw was a silhouette of someone in red, as my vision started to clear I saw Lloyd with an annoyed expression on his face looking down on me.

"_That explains__ the grip…" _"Lloyd, would you mind letting go of my arm before it detaches itself from my body?" I said flatly. I saw him roll his eyes and let goes of arm. I rubbed it gently feeling a sting of pain. "You didn't have to pull it with full force you know…" I grumbled.

"Sorry…" he apologized. "But you wouldn't wake up no matter what I do…I think you're an even heavier sleeper than me!" he exclaimed. "_Well sorry for liking to sleep in cold places so much!"_

"Besides we've wasted enough time here… we have to get a move on, the guard might come back soon!" he said as he checked the hallways for them while I stood up brushing myself. "Come on!" Lloyd said hastily beckoning me to follow him. _"It's not like I have any other choice…"_

We were cautiously making our way out of the base or Renegade's base if I'm not mistaken. The base was like something that you would see in a science fiction movie. The hallways were lighted but the strange thing is, we couldn't find a single door. It was like we were in a never-ending corridor with turns to make us more hopelessly lost. Making sure our footsteps were not perceptible for a guard to hear we walked quickly to one hallway after another without talking to each other. Lloyd was leading the way making twist and turns here and there. At some point, he would stare in wonder on the unfamiliar structure of the base.

"_There wasn't this many halls in the game…and I guess the puzzles don't exist here either…"_

After being knocked out, I was out like a light. If I remember the game correctly, Genis should be on his way to find Colette and Lloyd must have used the sorcerer's ring to get out of his cell and then…woke me up rather harshly. But…this means we're going to have to face that Yuan dude and that Botta guy with his cronies. I guess in the end they were the good guys but Lloyd doesn't know that. And who am I to tell him the truth now and risk…unimaginable catastrophe in this world. I doubt he would believe me anyway.

"Lloyd?" I whispered out.

"What?"

"Do you know where were going?"

"Uh…no…"

"Then your just making random turns?" I said angrily.

"Hey! I'm doing the best I can!" he retorted. "Atleast I don't oversleep at jail cells…"he mumbled softly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing…"

"Atleast I don't have an attention span of a five-year-old…" I muttered.

"Huh?"

"Nuthin…"

We made a turn on a corner that led to another corridor when Lloyd suddenly stopped in his tracks. I collided with his back. "Hey…" but was stop in mid-sentence when I looked over his shoulder to see three guards/Renegades about to enter a door. One of them spotted us.

"HEY!"

"_Oh Snap!"_

The two were quick to react and all three of them dashed towards us immediately. Lloyd stood his ground and readied his swords. "Stay back." He said to me. I nodded and hid behind the corner. I felt useless just hiding but it's the only thing I could do for the moment. I heard the clashing of swords. I took a peek behind the wall and saw Lloyd holding back the three guards by himself. He managed to knock down one of them but the two guards were persistently trying to take him down.

"DEMON FANG!"

The blue wave of energy made a direct hit to the other guard.

"_Two down…"_

No wonder he's always my character when beating the boss. He's got the best combos in the game! Wish I could fight like that…no…no…I'm getting out of this world as soon as I can…that is if…I…could…

"IT'S THE PRISONER!"

I tore my gaze from the fight and gasped as more Renegade soldiers appeared at the far end of the corridor that I was in. _"So this is where all the guards went…" _I instinctively ran from my hiding place and past Lloyd, who just finished knocking out the last soldier.

"RUN!" I shouted over my shoulder.

I ran as fast as I could, I could hear Lloyd's footsteps right behind me and the Renegades' footsteps from a distance. I stopped when I came upon two corridors. _"Now…Where…"_

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

"Dammit!" I cursed when I saw Renegades coming from the end of the left corridor. Lloyd grabbed my arm and dragged me to the opposite hall. I tried to keep up with his pace while concentrating on not stumbling on my feet. I could hear the Renegades coming closer. Lloyd made an abrupt turn to another corner taking my arm with him. I grimaced in pain.

"Darn it Lloyd! Are you trying to break my arm?" I said angrily.

"I wouldn't have to if you just run faster!" he replied irritably.

He dragged me to a door at the end of the hall that automatically opened and went inside. He stopped to catch his breath. I took my arm back and breathed heavily. _"Running…not…fun…"_

"That was close…" he breathed out. I was about to nod at him when I noticed the room we were in was carpeted. There was a large bookshelf on the corner and in the middle of the room was a large desk that you would see in an office of some snobby manager. _"Uh-oh…"_

"And just who the hell are you two?"

"_Le gasp!"_

We both turned to see blue-haired Yuan in his vampire cape, arms crossed and glaring at us with his cold eyes. I stepped back a bit and hid behind Lloyd. If the circumstances were different, I would have loved to ask him how he got his hair to be so shiny…but that's not gonna happen now or ever I guess.

"Give me your name and I'll give you mine!" Lloyd said cockily saying his famous line.

Yuan raised his eyebrow showing a slightly amused expression. "You've got some guts…but I don't see any purpose to introduce myself to the likes of you." As he now focused on Lloyd.

"Well that's good…because I don't plan to introduce myself to someone who doesn't realize how pathetic he is!" Lloyd said arrogantly. Normally, I would have cheered him on but given the situation I rather stay invisible.

I saw Yuan's face change from amusement to anger as he scowled at Lloyd. "Why you-" but stopped when his gaze landed on me. I didn't realize I was looking over Lloyd's shoulder involuntarily and now he was staring at me like he'd seen a ghost. But I doubt a measly ghost would freak him out anyway…

"Y-your…but you…" he stuttered.

Wait…Yuan stuttering? Something must be up! I stared at him as his eyes mimicked my expression of confusion.

Lloyd turned his head looking over at me. "You know him?" he asked. I shook my head. How can I know him! I don't know any blue-haired dudes on Earth! Maybe he's mistaking me for someone else. Whatever the case this is too weird.

"Lloyd…we have to…" I heard myself say.

Yuan recovered for a moment and stared at Lloyd. "Wait…your Lloyd?" he asked as he furrowed his eyebrows. Lloyd raised an eyebrow at him. "And what if I am?" he said.

"Hmm…I see the resemblance…" he muttered. "_Atleast we're back on track."_

Suddenly there was the sound of an alarm. I looked up to see a red light blinking. The automatic doors opened and Botta followed by his minions walked in. "Sir, we have received reports that the chosen and her group have infiltrated the base." Botta reported. _"Oooooh accent…"_

Lloyd glared at Botta. "You're the one I saw in the temple!" he exclaimed. Botta looked at Lloyd and smirked. "Ah…so your Lloyd…" he said.

"Botta! I'm leaving…plans will be ruined if he were to see me." Yuan intervened.

"Sir…what of the chosen?" Botta asked.

"I'll leave that to you." He said and turned to look at me. _"Meep!"_ "Make sure the girl does not escape." He ordered.

"SAY WHAT!" I cried. His gaze then shifted to Lloyd. "Lloyd, the next time we meet…your mine." _"Yes Yuan…that line is so not gay at all!"_

He exited and we were backed up by Botta and his minions. Now I really wish I had a weapon…even a bat would've made felt less useless.

The automatic sliding doors opened again, this time Colette, Genis and ZOMG! Kratos came running in.

"Lloyd! Haruko! Are you alright?" Genis asked. He was perspiring heavily. They probably went through whole** lot**of guards.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Colette asked worriedly. _"She's so sugary!"_

"They seem to be fine." Kratos said calmly. _"My friends would be sooo jealous!" _I caught a glimpse of Kratos narrow his eyes at me for a second but his expression became neutral again. _"Must be my imagination…"_

"You guys came for us?" Lloyd said happily but the touching moment ended when Botta laughed in amusement.

"So your all here…how convenient! Now I can take you all at once!" Botta said arrogantly. Lloyd readied his swords, Genis already had his kendama at hand, Colette got her chakrams out and Kratos drew out his sword._"Somehow…I feel a little left out…"_

Lloyd ran at full speed towards Botta followed by Kratos while Colette threw her chakrams at one of the guards. She protecting Genis while he's concentrating on casting a spell. The other guard was rushing towards me when multiple blades of water smacked him right on his face.

It didn't look too powerful but it knocked him off balance.

"RUN!" I heard Genis yell.

"_The only thing…"_ I clenched my jaw and started to make a run for the exit. In the corner of my eye I saw Botta taking in all the blows of Lloyd and Kratos, he wasn't even fighting back. He looked like he was concentrating…

Magic runes suddenly appeared beneath his feet. He raised his axe.

"_Oh shit!"_

"STALAGMITE!"

Pain. "GUH!" I cried out. I felt sharp rocks hit my left leg first before another one hit my poor arm. Just when I thought the spell was over another jagged rock sprouted out, this time hitting my right thigh. I landed painfully on the floor. It felt like I was pierced by a thousand needles. I could feel blood oozing out from my wounds. My head started to hurt. I laid there afraid to move for it might cause more pain.

"Oh no!" I heard Colette cry out. She ran to my side with Genis following. Both had worried expressions on their faces, either of them not knowing on what to do.

"You bastard!" I heard Lloyd yell out as he went all out on Botta. I saw Kratos concentrating on casting a spell. For my sake, please be first-aid. My vision was starting get blurry. The only thing I can think of is…

"_Damn you Botta!"_

Suddenly I felt a breeze, and then it started to get stronger. A tornado started to form around Botta encasing him unmercifully as it became more powerful by the second. I heard Botta yelp out in pain.

"First aid!"

I felt some kind of warm energy engulfing me. My wounds still hurt but they were bearable. I sat up and stared in awe as the tornado disappeared and Botta landed on the floor ungracefully. _"Woah! Genis learned tornado?" _All of us stared agape for a second.

Botta struggled to get up using his axe. "I've…underestimated…your…abilities…" he breathed out. He had several scratches in his body and some parts of his clothes were ripped. Before he could fully stand, he lost his balance and plopped back to the ground like his minions, I wasn't really sure if they were alive. _"That wasn't supposed to happen…"_

"He's unconscious." Kratos declared.

Lloyd ran to my side. "Hey, you okay?"

"Kinda…" I replied tiredly.

"Can you stand?" Colette asked worriedly.

I stood up slowly feeling sore. I saw my wounds were still slightly opened. "Wow! I'm a mess!" I said aloud. The three of them just stared at me in silence.

"So this is where you've all gone"

I turned to see "The Professor" looking at us. She had an aura of a dignified woman. But…_"Where the heck did she come from?" _She scanned the room and finally landed her gaze on me. "Oh my…what happened?" she asked concerned as she walked towards me.

"She got hit by a spell…" Genis explained.

Raine took my arm gently and examined my wounds. "They don't seem to be too deep." she said. "Nevertheless, it must be treated immediately before it gets infected." I nodded. I felt so tired…I just want to go to sleep. She then noticed something on her feet. "Oh…what's this?" she said curiously and picked up a small orb. _"Hey! That's…"_

"That's an exsphere!" Lloyd cried out.

"An exsphere? What…"

"We should head back to town first. It is not wise to stay here any longer." Kratos intervened. She nodded understandingly and led the way to the exit. Once outside, I took in the fresh air. _"Ah…finally free!" _The trip back to Triet was uneventful. No one really talked to each other except for Lloyd, Colette and Genis. They were talking excitedly to each other. I was in a foul mood and didn't want to ruin their reunion so I just walked ahead, I noticed Genis giving me glances that I chose to ignore. I can't even think clearly, my brain felt like mush…the worst part was that we were…walking…I just hope we get to Triet soon.

* * *

><p>"First aid!"<p>

I felt the warm light again. Raine's spell felt more powerful than the one Kratos casted back in the base. I looked at my wounds and they were now completely closed. "Thanks" I said with a small smile. "Your welcome" she said and smiled back.

We were currently in Triet's only inn. The wood inside and out was scathed but the inn still had a comfortable feeling to it, especially when your inside a room with a very comfy bed. All of us were gathered in Raine and Genis' room. I was sitting on the bed with Raine and Colette sitting beside me. Lloyd and Genis were sitting on the chairs near the window and Kratos was standing, he was observing me with cold calculating eyes.

"_Note to self: Never look Kratos in the eye__…even if he does have a million fan girls that would kill to be in my shoes right now."_

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence when Raine finally decided to speak up. She turned to Lloyd. "Lloyd, Genis told me what had happened. I apologize for the trouble he has caused you." she said. Her voice sounded so motherly. "No…it was my fault…I was the one who dragged Genis into this." he admittedly sadly. She sighed. "I guess there's no helping it. I hope you're prepared on what is to come on this journey." Lloyd almost stood up from his chair. His eyes were glistening excitedly. "You mean…"

"That is what you intended to do in the beginning wasn't it?" she stated with a slight smile. I could see Lloyd and Genis grinning widely from the news. Raine then turned to look at me. _"Waaah…" _I looked down on the floor. I could feel all of their gazes on me. I gripped the sheets of the bed to become less tense. _"Uh-oh…I totally forgot to make a back-up story…I would have loved to have real amnesia right now…"_

"Your name is Haruko? Am I correct?" she asked gently. I nodded my head, my eyes still glued on the floor. "Would you mind telling us where you're from?" I couldn't help gripping the sheets tighter. _"Sigh…here goes…amnesia excuse..."_

"I don't know where I came from…" I started. "I was found in the middle of the desert by a family. They were kind enough to take me here but I didn't want to bother them so we parted ways…" I looked up a little to see them staring intensely at me. I took a deep breath and continued. "I only remembered my name and nothing else…I don't know how I got here or where I'm from." At least some parts of it are true…I can't just say I'm from Palmacosta or whatever…they'll surely be looking for my family which I doubt is here.

"How long have you been here?" Raine asked. I was tempted to look over at Lloyd and Genis but decided against it. _"I knew I shouldn't have done that prank!...was it still worth it?...eh…maybe!" _"Three days…" I lied. "Where are you staying now?" she asked again. "I was staying at a guy's place near the city's entrance but his place got crashed by the desians…" I explained. _"I remember that guy in the game because he was the only NPC in Triet who had a cut-scene. Oh please let me be right…"_

"I think we've met him…his place was completely destroyed! He left right after we talked to him…" Lloyd spoke up_. "I know that I'm being mean to the unnamed guy but…Hurrah!" _"That's terrible! They didn't do anything to hurt both of you…did they?" Colette asked concerned. "No…" I said simply. I saw Raine get into her "thinking look", of course she would be suspicious…who wouldn't be?

"So you don't have anywhere to go?" Genis asked. I stared at him for a second. He looked taken aback and quickly avoided my gaze. _"I wonder what's with the shift of attitude…" _I shook my head. This is too unnerving…I wonder if they'll believe me or not.

"Professor, we can't just leave her here! Can't she come with us?" She asked sweetly. _"Ah…Colette! I wuv you so much right now!". _But what I really want is to avoid being killed! At the base was a whole new level of pain…and that was just one out of the many bosses that could easily send me flying with a flick of their finger. On the other hand, will I find a way to go back home by following them?

"And Professor…there was this guy at the base who didn't want Haruko to escape! That's why she got hurt!" Lloyd added. _"Wow! He's still nice to me even if I acted like a brat?" _"Is that so?" Raine said obviously thinking hard. "He could be a person that you knew in the past…did you felt that he looked familiar?" she continued, her eyes were now looking at me suspiciously_. "_Uh-uh…I don't recognize his face at all!" I said_. "I would totally remember if I saw Yuan's woman face on Earth!" _"The desians might come back for her again!" Colette said anxiously. Raine was now crossing her arms with furrowed eyebrows and the truth is…I don't know what to think either.

"She would only be a hindrance in the journey."

All eyes went to Kratos. I saw him glaring at me before his gaze went to Raine. _"I didn't even do anything yet! Stupid hot mercenary!" _"She cannot even protect herself…she will be in more peril if she would be joining us in this journey." He stated. Raine paused for a moment to think and finally said: "I guess that's true…but she will still be in constant danger if the desians are after her. She'll risk getting caught again if she is alone." Even if it looked like she was voting for me to stay…I knew she was downright suspicious of me because a desian/renegade knows me.

Raine looked at the window. "It's getting late. It would be probably best if we rest. Mr. Aurion and I will make the final decision tomorrow morning." she declared. "But…there aren't any more rooms available…" she said troubled. "She can stay with me!" Colette volunteered. "But Colette…" Raine said with a worried expression. "Don't worry Professor! Its fine!" she then turned to me. "I would love the company!" she said and smiled brightly at me. I couldn't help but smile back. _"She's so strong."_

* * *

><p>I was now in Colette's room lying lazily on the bed. My drowsiness was gone because of the interrogation earlier. Lloyd was probably making the exsphere thingy for Raine and Genis was probably with her…Kratos? I don't really care. I wonder what will be their final decision tomorrow…it's true that the journey is dangerous but what if those renegade dudes come after me again…one thing's for sure…I am officially <strong>involved<strong>. Greaat.

I sat up from the bed and stood up.

"Haruko? Is something wrong?" Colette asked. She was already getting ready to go to bed.

"No…I'm just going out for a little walk." I answered. "Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself?" she asked concerned. "Don't worry! I won't go too far…" I said to her. "Well okay…but be careful!" she reminded. I nodded._"She's just like sis…"_

* * *

><p>"<em>Sis?"<em>

"_What is it Genis?"_

"_Where were you when we infiltrated the base? You disappeared right after we got information from the guard!"_

"_Oh…I was examining the architectural structure of the base…it's quite a remarkable piece of construction!"_

"_Sigh"_

"_Is there something bothering you Genis?"_

"_What do you think of Haruko?"_

"_Hmm…I don't really know what to think…she seems like a nice girl but…why do you ask?"_

"_I-I need to tell you something…"_

* * *

><p>I opened the door of the inn and walked outside. It wasn't that much cool at night but the slight breeze made me feel relaxed. I looked near the city's entrance and saw someone or something in the shed. I walked closer to it and saw that it was moving.<p>

*Whine*

"Noishe?" I said aloud and walked closer to him. He really looked like a weird green dog but other than that he seemed so HUGABBLE! "Hi there…" I said gently and reached out my hand to pet him.

*Bark* *Bark*

He snarled at me. I took my hand back quickly and backed away. I was like _"What the heck!"_. Then suddenly I saw his expression change quickly from anger to happiness and he was wagging his tail excitedly. Wait…

"Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"_Not now…" _I turned my head to see Kratos looking at me with arms crossed. His spiky red hair was swaying gently with the breeze. _"Why does he have to be so cold and hot at the same time?" _"I was just taking a little walk." I said. He "hmphed" and walked past me. I saw Noishe looking contented as Kratos patted him with ease._"Meanie Noishe!" _There was some unnerving silence. I was about go back at the inn when he finally spoke up.

"You're quite an actress."

My eyes widened as I stared at him. His back was facing me. "Uh…what do you…"

"Did you honestly believe that I could be easily fooled by your sob story?" he said coldly. He turned to face me and I couldn't help but flinch. His eyes were dark and were of pure hatred. His glare was so intense that I couldn't move my body. I could only stare helplessly as he glared daggers at me…I could almost feel them piercing me._"Why such hatred…"_

I saw him getting ready to unsheathe his sword. _"Wait…is he seriously going to…"_

"Noishe!"

I saw Kratos cringe. We both turned to see Lloyd at the door of the inn. He walked toward us and smiled. "Kratos and Haruko! You're here too!" he exclaimed. "I was just about to leave." Kratos said and started walking towards the inn. "The two of you should go to bed…you will only cause trouble if you don't get enough sleep." he said while walking. He closed the door of the inn without a sound.

Silence.

"What's up with him?"

I exhaled deeply. _"That was traumatizing…" _"Hey, you okay? You look kinda pale!" he asked concerned. _"People here are too darn nice for their own good well maybe except Kratos…" _"Yeah…" I said softly. I heard Noishe bark happily at Lloyd. "Hey boy! How are you?" Lloyd said grinning like a little child. He ruffled Noishe's green fur while Noishe wagged his tail happily at him.

"Hey Lloyd?"

"Yeah?"

"Sorry."

"Huh? Why are you apologizing?"

"Just sorry."

"…Your weird…"

"Yup."

I saw Noishe yawn and he started to circle the shed. "We should probably sleep…it's really late…" Lloyd said. "But I don't feel sleepy yet." I frowned. "I'll just stay here for a bit." He walked towards me and to my dislike, ruffled my hair. "Hey! Stop it!" I said annoyed.

"You need to sleep early or else you'll never grow!" Lloyd said teasingly. "_Say that to Genis…" _"I'm not a kid you know…" I said huffily. "Sure your not…but you need to be prepared for tomorrow!" he reminded. _"Oh yeah…the decision…" _I gave in. "Okay."

When I got to Colette's room, she was already asleep. _"Probably her last sleep…" _I went under the covers of my bed. There was so much to think about that I didn't know where to begin. I thought I wasn't to get any sleep but I soon find myself drifting off. All of this felt like a surreal dream…but I know that it's not…it can't hurt to pretend right?...Oh wait…yeah it does. Maybe a good night's sleep will do me good. What I need is…rest.

* * *

><p>That was so loooong! Well atleast its done!<p>

I know its not the exact dialogue on what they said in the game but i haven't played for awhile so...yah

Reviews are much appreciated!


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